THANKFUL FRIDAY

I missed a large chunk of scooter season to the pandemic shut down. Weekends were the only times we were going anywhere or venturing out and we tried to take the scooters as often as possible, but weekend errands/outings more often than not happened in the car. Then Michael broke his arm. His elbow is healed, but he still doesn’t have the strength to hold up his heavy scooter. Now that I’m back at work, I ride my scooter as often as the weather allows for it. The weather has been kind because I have been able to scoot to work almost every day of the week.

It has been amazing.

Wednesday afternoon, I scooted down to Union Station to vote and when I told my boss what I was doing, he was seriously jealous. It was summer like temperatures outside and I pulled off my sweater. If I had had flip-flops, I would have kicked off my socks and shoes and put them on even though I know I’m not to wear flip-flops on the scooter. I could easily imagine myself on an island, scooting my way to the beach, a surfboard bungie corded to my crate. This week someone stopped me in the hallway to say something about how I must be loving this weather on a scooter. I agreed that it has been wonderful. Then I said that I was going to see how hard I could push myself this year by seeing how much cold I could tolerate. Once the temperatures drop down colder than a simple jacket and gloves requires, I might try layering on coats and just keep riding until the first freeze or snowfall. Last year the first snow hit us in October. I think my scooter days for the year are very numbered. I’m soaking in as many days worth as I can.

Michael once asked me if I would ever consider buying a different scooter. Michael is the original Goldie Locks. It takes him some time to find the ‘just right’. He is flabbergasted that I would not even want to consider anything else. I’ve had V for twelve years now and I can’t imagine owning any other scooter. I am sure the day will come when I have to replace V, but my plan is to just replace her with a carbon copy of herself. I knew that I wanted a Vespa the first time I saw Audrey Hepburn gleefully and recklessly take off on one in Roman Holiday . I think I was nine or ten when I watched that movie and it gave me grown-up goals. I thought to myself “Cindy, when you grow up, you will ride a Vespa scooter and wear ballet flats. You will have sassy short hair and maybe wear scarf.” Well, I’m all grown-up and I ride a Vespa. I do not wear ballet flats or a scarf (unless it’s cold), but I do have the sassy short hair.

On my ride home from Dr. Mary’s this week, I passed a man walking with his three daughters. The girls ranged from age two to maybe six. The oldest one saw me first. Her face lit up and she stopped short. Then her little hand went into the air to wave at me. I waved back and then beeped my horn. All three girls hopped up and down with glee. I like to think that I became their Audrey Hepburn that day and that they will grow up to ride scooters.

V is still the best investment I have ever made.